Mechanism for labeling bottles and other containers



S. T. CARTER May 23, 1939.

MECHANISM FOR LABELING BOTTLES AND OTHER CONTAINERS Filed April 27, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l v EN HUI/MD U7:

0U Duul ATTORN S. T. CARTER May 23, 1939.

MECHANISM FOR LABELING BOTTLES AND OTHER cdNTAINERs Filed April 27, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 1939- s. "r. CARTER I 2,159,318

MECHANISM FOR LABELING BOTTLES AND OTHER CONTAINERS Filed April 27, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 il m b INVENTOR.

BY W/M ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANISM FOR LABELING BOTTLES AND OTHER CONTAINERS Application April 2'7, 1938, Serial No. 204,526

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved mechanism for labeling bottles and other containers.

One of the objects of the invention is to pr vide improved means for spotting the labels, so that each label will be affixed to the bottle or other container, at a predetermined portion of said bottle or container.

Another object of the invention is to provide .0 simple and improved control mechanism for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and improved mechanism for this purpose, which will be wholly automatic and which will '15 operate in conjunction with spotting means provided at the bottom of the bottle or container or at any other portion thereof. These spotting means can comprise a groove or grooves or other surface irregularities or even surface markings upon the outer wall of the bottle or other container.

Another object of the invention is to provide means which can be provided'as a simple and convenient attachment for existing labeling machines.

Other objects of the invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above statement of the objects of my invention is intended generally to explain the same without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the essential parts of the improved device.

5 Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the mechanism for turning the bottle around its own axis.

Fig. 3 is a. sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

40 Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing the lower portion of the bottle before the bottle has been mounted on the conveyor chain in the spotted position.

Since the device can be applied as an attachment to well-known machines, numerous wellknown parts are not illustrated. The bottles are supplied either by hand or by any suitable automatic apparatus to an endless conveyor chain I.

As shown in detail in Fig. 5, this chain I consists of suitable pivotally connected links. These links are provided with supporting plates 2, on which the bottoms of the bottles B rest. These plates 2 are provided with spotting ribs 3 which are aligned with each other. The chain conveyor I is endless and it is actuated by suitable pulleys, sprockets or the like.

As shown in Fig. 5, the bottom of the bottle B is provided with a spotting groove 6. There may be a plurality of grooves 6, which may intersect 5 each other, but the use of one groove is preferred. When the bottle B is held on the conveyor chain I with one or more consecutive ribs 3 located in the spotting groove 6, the bottle is located upon the conveyor chain I in proper spotted position. 10 The length of groove 6 preferably exceeds the length of a single rib 3.

Improved automatic means are shown for turning the bottle on its own axis after the bottle has been placed upon the conveyor chain I, until 15 one or more ribs 3 enter the spotting groove 6.

The ends of the spotting groove 6 preferably extend to the outer edge of the bottom wall of the bottle. The groove 6 can be formed during the molding of the bottle, as a depression in the g Fig. 2 shows how the top run of the conveyor 30 chain I is led over a suitable table T.

As shown in Fig. 4, stationary friction rails I and 8 are located above the table T. These rails are respectively provided with facings Ia and 8a which can be made of rubber or other material 35 having a high coeflicient of friction.

As shown in Fig. 4, a sprocket 9 meshes with the bottom run of the conveyor chain I so that the sprocket 3 and the conveyor chain move in unison.

A bushing I2 is suitably keyed to the shaft III, which is mounted in the housing II, which forms part of the table T. The sprocket 3 drives the bushing I 2 and the shaft I0 through a friction drive. For this purpose the sprocket 3 is provided 45 with a series of recesses in which compression springs I4 are located. These springs press balls I5 into the tapered recesses I6 of the bushing I2. These recesses I6 are spaced from each other. The force of the compression springs I4 can be 60 regulated by means of adjusting screws II.

' This friction drive is designed so as to regulate the force of the frictional drive which turns each bottle around its own axis.

A bevel gear I8 is suitably keyed to the shaft I0 55 and said bevel gear l8 meshes with a bevel gear I 9 which is keyed to the jack-shaft 28.

zontal chain 23 is driven by means of the sprocket 22. This chain 23 passes around a supplemental sprocket 24, as shown in Fig. 3.

Brackets 25 are connected at suitably spaced intervals to the chain 23, by means of arms 26 and rivets or other fastening members 21. Each of these brackets 25 has a friction wheel 28 turnably mounted thereon. These friction wheels 28 may have facings of rubber or other suitable friction material.

The friction wheels 28 are turnably mounted on stud-shafts 29, which are located in lateral slots of the brackets 25. The stud-shafts 29 are externally threaded so that they can be adjiustably clamped in position by means of nuts .30.

A stationary guide 3| is suitably connected to the member 2|, or to any other part of the frame of the machine.

The brackets 25 have guide rollers 32, which are turnably mounted thereon. These guide rollers 32 contact turnably with the adjacent inner faces of the guides 3| as shown in Fig. 4, so that the horizontal runs of the chain 23 are held at the same level and in proper position relative to the conveyor chain I.

Therollers 32 also serve to maintain the rolls 28 in contact with the outer faces'of the guide 3|, so that the rolls 28 are turned while the chain 23 is moved.

The brackets 25 have additional guide rolls 33, which abut another guide member 34. This guide member 34 is a portion of the housing I I in which the shaft I8 is located. The guide portion 34 of the housing II also holds a bushing which serves as a bearing for the shaft 20.

Therefore, as the bottles are moved forwardly by the. conveyor chain I, when said bottles contact with the rolls 28, said rolls 28 operate to turn the bottles around their own axes as indicated at the positions A and D in Fig. 2.

The rails I and 8 act to prevent the bottles from being forced off the conveyorchain by-the pressure of the rolls 28, and said rails also cooperate with the rolls 28 in causing said turning movement of the bottles.

As shown in Fig. 2, a suitable timing or spacing device is provided adjacent the inlet end of the chain 23, so as to deliver the bottles in properly spaced relation to be turned by the rolls 28. This timing device may be ofany conventional type.

The bottle is placed in the position designated as C in Fig. 2, either by hand or by any other automatic mechanism. In this position the groove 6 may not register with the adjacent rib or ribs 3. J

The spacing device consists of an arm 35, pivoted at 36 to the frame of the machine, and actuated by means of a tension spring 31, to the full line position shown in Fig. 2.

A cam 38 mounted on the shaft 39 of the sprocket 24, intermittently actuates the arm 35 from its full line position to the broken line position illustrated in Fig. 2'.

The cam 38 has two diametrically opposite cam projections 38a so that two bottles will pass the timing arm 38 during each complete revolution of the shaft 39.

The bottle is thus turned around its own axis by the frictional drive of the contacting roll 28, cooperating with members la and 8a, until the bottle assumes the position designated as E in Fig. 2, in which the spotting groove and the spotting rib or ribs interlock. This interlocking is sufficient to prevent any further turning of the bottles by means of the rolls 28.

Of course when the spotting groove and the spotting rib interlock, the bottle B is lowered, as shown in the position E in Fig. 3.

The apparatus is driven by means of a motor 40, which drives a variable speed pulley 4|. The position of the motor can be regulated by means of conventional adjusting means 42. A belt 43, actuated by the pulley 4|, drives a pulley 44.

The main conveyor chain I is actuated by means of the pulley 44 through connecting means which are not illustrated as they are of any conventional type.

When the bottle leaves the conveyor I, it is indexed at the feed station, onto the bottle track of the conventional labeling machine. The means for indexing the bottle onto the bottle track are not shown as these are conventional.

Likewise, the details of the parts designated as label stations are not shown as this part of the machineis conventional and this applies to the discharge conveyor of the labeling machine.

The bottle track is provided with a suitable key which enters the spotting recess 6 of the bottle, so as to maintain the bottle in proper spotting relation to the mechanism at the labeling stations.

Likewise the indexing means which feed the bottle laterally from the conveyor l to the bottle track of the labeling machine can have a finger which engages the groove 6 so as to maintain the groove 6 in a position parallel to its position at the station E.

The rolls 28 operate to turn each bottle through an arc whose length preferably substantially exceeds the circumference of the bottle. For example the circumference of a quart bottle is approximately eleven inches. Hence, the mechanism for turning a quart bottle around its own axis operates to turn said bottle through an arc whose length is eighteen inches, which is effective to cause the recess 6 to engage with a rib or ribs 3 even if the bottle must be turned through an angle of 360".

While I have shown a complete attachment for use in connection with various standard types of labeling machines, it is clear that the invention shows numerous valuable sub-combinations and that numerous changes and omissions can be made from the preferred embodiment which is illustrated, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

While I have shown an endless conveyor l for feeding the bottles B, said conveyor may be sub-' has assumed the predetermined circumferential position which is indicated at station E of Fig. 3.

Likewise, while it is desirable, it is not necessary that the ribs 3 should form part of the conveyor. The surfaceirregularity in the bottle may be of any type, suchas an optical irregularity.

In this embodiment, means are shown for imparting a pure turning movement of the bottle around its own axis. However, it would not be departing from the invention if the bottle were given movements other than said pure turning movement.

I claim:

1. For use in connection with bottle labeling mechanism, feeding means adapted to feed a bottle, associated turning means adapted to turn the bottle around its own axis, spotting means located on said feeding means and adapted to engage the outer surface of the bottom wall of the bottle and to stop the turning of said bottle under the action of said turning means when the bottle has assumed a predetermined circumferential position.

2. For use in connection with bottle labeling mechanism, the combination of a bottle having a surface irregularity in the outer surface of its bottom wall, feeding means for feeding the bottle, turning means for turning the bottle around its own axis, spotting means located on said feeding means and operable in combination with said surface irregularity to stop the turning of the bottle when it has assumed a predetermined circumferential position.

3. For use in connection with bottle labeling mechanism, an endless conveyor, said conveyor having a surface adapted to support the bottom of the bottle, said surface having means projecting therefrom and adapted to enter a recess in the bottom wall of the bottle, and slip means operable to turn the bottle around its own axis, said bottle having a groove which is shaped to lock with said projecting means when the bottle is in a predetermined circumferential position, said lock being suificient to prevent the further turning of the bottle around its own axis by said slip means.

4. In combination, an endless conveyor, said conveyor having a supporting surface which is provided with means projecting therefrom, a bottle having a recess in its bottom wall which is shaped to interlock with said projecting means, stationary means located above the conveyor and located to abut the bottle while it is being moved by said conveyor, turnable means spaced from each other and from said stationary means, mechanism for operating said turnable means,

said turnable means being located to contact with and to turn the bottle while it is being moved in unison with the conveyor, said turnable means being free to slip relative to the bottle when the recess of the bottle is interlocked with said projecting means.

5. A device according to claim 4, having turnable means adapted to turn the bottle through an angle of at least 360.

6. For use in connection with bottle labeling mechanism, the combination of a bottle having a recess in the external wall of the bottom thereof, said recess being spaced laterally from the longitudinal axis of said bottle, a conveyor, said conveyor having a surface adapted to support the bottom of the bottle, said surface having means projecting therefrom and adapted to engage said recess and to hold the bottle against turning on the conveyor, means operable to turn the bottle on its own axis while it is supported on said surface of the conveyor.

'7. For use in connection with bottle labeling mechanism, an endless conveyor having a top run and a bottom run, said endless conveyor having spotting means projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to enter and to interengage with a groove which is provided in the bottom wall of a bottle which is supported on said top run, a first shaft l0, friction drive means connecting said conveyor and the first shaft [I] so that the first shaft I is normally driven in unison with said conveyor when said conveyor is moved, a second shaft 20, gear means connecting the first shaft H] and the second shaft 20 and operable to turn the second shaft 20 at lower angular speed than the first shaft H], a supplemental endless member, brackets spaced from each other and connected to the supplemental endless member, means adapted to actuate the second endless member, said brackets having wheels turnably connected thereto and located to contact with bottles which are supported on the top run of said conveyor so as to turn said bottles, stationary means located above the top run of the conveyor and located to abut the bottles which are located on the top run of said conveyor and which are in contact with said wheels, said wheels being spaced laterally from said stationary means, stationary means located to contact with portions of the peripheries of said wheels which are spaced from said bottles,

so that said wheels are turned automatically when said supplemental endless member is moved relative to the last-mentioned stationary means.

SwNEY T. CAR'IER. 

